Orange County Rollover Accident Attorneys

Multi-Vehicle Rollovers

When a vehicle with a high center of gravity is hit with force by another vehicle, especially in a side impact, it can cause it to rollover. An impact that pushes a vehicle into a guardrail or other fixed object can also result in it rolling over.

Overcorrecting

This occurs when a driver abruptly turns the wheel more than is expected or necessary causing the vehicle to tip or roll over.

Alcohol

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost half of all fatal rollover crashes involve alcohol.

What Injuries Are Commonly Caused By Rollover Accidents?

Rollover accidents not only cause the most fatalities, but they also cause the most catastrophic and life-altering injuries. Injuries from rollover accidents include the following:

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

TBI’s range in severity from mild to severe and include concussions, coup-contrecoup brain injuries, brain contusions, diffuse axonal injuries, second impact syndrome, and penetrating injuries. Outcomes can range from short term headaches to brain death.

Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)

SCI’s are graded for severity using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale:

• ASIA A: No sensory function
• ASIA B: Some sensory function, but no motor function
• ASIA C: Some motor function, but less than 50% anti-gravity
• ASIA D: More than 50% of muscle groups function anti-gravity
• ASIA E: Normal

Traumatic Amputations

These injuries are complicated with loss of blood and require emergency medical assistance. Victims are taken by medivac to a trauma center where an attempt can be made to reattach the limb. Thankfully, technological advances now allow for amputees to have a large amount of mobility with prosthetics.

Disfiguring Scars

There are many types of scarring that can develop from traumatic lacerations including:

• Keloid scars that extend beyond the original laceration area. These can become raised and cause discomfort.
• Contracture scars that tighten the skin and impair mobility. This type of scar can even go deep into the muscles and nerves.
• Hypertrophic scars are raised reddish scars that appear similar to keloids, however, they don’t extend beyond their original trauma area.

Burn Injuries

This can range from mild burns that need basic first aid to severe burns where life-saving emergency medical treatment is required.

These are the different degrees of burns injuries:

• First degree burns only impact the top layer of skin, causing redness and sensitivity.
• Second-degree burns go through to the second layer of skin, sometimes impacting sweat glands and hair follicles. The skin may appear blistered and wet.
• Third-degree burns are called “full thickness” burns and may impact nerve endings. The skin may appear dry, charred, and swollen.
• Fourth-degree burns impact all the layers of the skin and muscle. These life-threatening burns can be fatal and always require emergency medical treatment.